Transurban admin fees criticised as unjustifiable and excessive
Jo Parkin, a senior financial adviser at Uniting, said administrative fees made it difficult for financially strapped motorists to pay the toll immediately.
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But left unpaid, a toll as little as $3.27 can turn into a criminal liability of up to $450 imposed by Fines Victoria.
“Extra fees create a barrier to people being able to pay, so they are more likely to set it aside,” Parkin said.
“Keeping the initial amount as small as possible, having a good hardship program and not charging these admin fees will help people deal with the matter immediately and prevent it from turning into a criminal matter.”
Inner Melbourne Community Legal managing lawyer Shifrah Blustein said the size of the administrative fees was “unfair and completely disproportionate” to the cost of billing drivers.
He said removing executive fees would be a good first step, but wider reform was needed to stop Transurban making excessive profits at the expense of Victorians. This included Fines Victoria no longer enforcing Transurban’s debts at taxpayer expense.
“Toll roads are considered an essential service. But unlike public transportation, utility bills or vehicle registrations, discounted rates are not available,” Blustein said.
“The government should work with toll operators to require them to provide concessional options to ensure access to toll roads is fair.”
Parkin said about 60 percent of the clients he works with who are dealing with criminal debts owe money to Transurban.
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“They say they have an accessible hardship program, but that’s not what I’m experiencing,” he said.
A Transurban spokesman said administrative charges had been abolished in NSW as part of a wider toll reform led by the Minns government and operated under a different legal framework in Victoria.
The spokesman said administrator fees cover the cost of identifying vehicle owners, issuing notices and meeting regulatory requirements.
“We support making changes to continually improve how customers manage and pay tolls, including digital solutions and payment options that provide greater visibility and flexibility,” they said.
“Drivers have the opportunity to use payment arrangements that do not require any pre- and post-trip fees.”
The NSW toll road review, led by former ACCC chairman Allan Fels, called on Transurban to issue invoices electronically rather than by post and combine them for multiple journeys undertaken over a number of days rather than issuing separate invoices with separate charges for each journey.
Starting Jan. 1, the maximum CityLink toll for a single vehicle trip will increase from $12.25 to $12.38. A 24-hour pass to use both the West Gate Tunnel and CityLink will cost $38.52 for cars and $70.03 for pickup trucks and vans.
Designed as an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, the West Gate Tunnel will be tested for its usability for the first time starting Friday night, when the annual maintenance of the bridge begins.
The West Gate Bridge will be reduced from five lanes to two in each direction by Monday afternoon, and city-bound lanes will remain closed until Jan. 4. Transport Victoria has warned drivers to expect delays of up to an hour.
